


The Watchman

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 01:16:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15328518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: A retelling of Jim's eighteen months in Peru, from Incacha's POV





	The Watchman

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2018 sentinel bingo prompt 'jungle'.

The Watchman

by Bluewolf

A prequel of sorts to Incacha House

At least Incacha had understood when, in his not-very-fluent Quechua, Jim had explained that he was trying to bury his men because that was the custom in his land (the custom in the Amazon rainforest, they had been told, was cremation). "When my people come for me - and they will come - they will want to dig up the bodies and take them back to be buried with honor beside their families," he explained.

And so Incacha directed the men of his tribe to dig trenches for the bodies of the four men Jim had not managed to bury - the Chopek had been watching the strange behavior of the white man for some time before revealing themselves - and follow the stranger's instructions thereafter.

Then, once the dead had all been buried and Jim had draped the dogtags for each man on the branch he had asked the Chopek to put at the head of each grave, he recited the Lord's Prayer then spoke a few words, telling them to rest in peace; and then he looked at Incacha, the man who had helped him. "It is done," he said in Quechua.

"Come, then," Incacha said, and turned to lead the way back to his not-very-distant village. He kept an eye on the one man who had survived the machine falling from the sky, knowing that he must be very shaken, but impressed by the man's determination. Many men, after such an incident, would have collapsed, not quite giving up but certainly looking to rest, thus forcing the Chopek men to carry him to safety.

Once they reached the village, however, the stranger's strength failed; it was clear to Incacha that only willpower was keeping him on his feet. Incacha exchanged a few words with the village headman, speaking too quickly for Jim to have a hope of understanding, then, refusing to undermine the rescued man's pride, led him to a hut. He indicated the sleeping mat in one corner, saying simply, "Rest now."

The rescued man undoubtedly needed food, but for the moment rest - sleep - was more important. And it seemed that the stranger realized that too; he took the half dozen steps that carried him to the mat, and sank down onto it. He lay still for a moment, then wriggled into what was clearly a more comfortable position, and Incacha knew that he slept.

Incacha sat at the side of the bed, studying the man. There was something about him that intrigued the shaman...

Perhaps it was time for a spirit walk.

***

Incacha's spirit walk didn't help him much, but during it he saw the man's powerful black jaguar spirit guide, and knew from it that he had been correct - this survivor from the machine that fell from the sky would indeed help the Chopek, but only for a time. His people would come for him, though not for a while, and take him back... and his abilities would then help his own people.

***

It took the stranger fully two weeks to recover fully from the shock of the helicopter crash that killed the rest of the men with him.

His name, as he had mumbled it, sounded strange, and Incacha gave him the name Enqueri. He accepted his new name without protest.

During that time, Incacha spent a lot of time at his side. Enqueri's Quechua was stumbling and badly pronounced, so Incacha spent time helping him, giving him the correct pronunciation, and even in those few days his ability to communicate improved greatly.

During that time Incacha wondered about the black jaguar. The big cat was indeed a powerful spirit, symbolizing courage and protection.

Protection...

Was Enqueri a Protector? Possibly even... a Watchman?

His own people would come for him one day - Incacha was sure of that. But while he lived with the Chopek, would they have the services of a Watchman? They had not had one for many years - for at least three generations.

Enqueri was a bad invalid; he fought resting, trying to do more than he was really fit to do even inside the first day, and Incacha understood that this could very well be associated with the instinct of a Watchman - because for a Watchman, being unable to serve his community would be a form of suffering, worse than the physical exhaustion he was experiencing. And so Incacha allowed Enqueri to walk around the hut at frequent intervals, letting him regain strength, letting him decide for himself when he needed to lie down again.

Incacha could see the frustration on Enqueri's face and in his body language when physical weakness forced him to lie down yet again; but his periods of activity grew longer surprisingly quickly - though not, Incacha was sure, quickly enough to satisfy the restless man.

By the tenth day Incacha was allowing Enqueri longer walks that took him outside the hut. The Chopek - in particular the children - were fascinated by the stranger. They crept after him the first day he appeared, giggling when it became obvious that their efforts to hide from him were pointless. And then, two days later, he suddenly became motionless and said clearly and authoritatively, "Stop!"

They stopped instantly; even the youngest child in the tribe knew to obey that tone of voice without argument. Incacha moved slowly forward to join Enqueri, who glanced at him and then pointed into the branches of a tree just ahead of them.

Incacha peered at the tree, and stiffened. A huge snake hung there, mostly hidden by the leaves. "Go back!" he said. The children retreated quickly. "Amaru!" he called. One of the men, spear in hand, moved forward slowly to join him. Incacha indicated the tree, then walked forward slowly. Amaru moved sideways even more slowly, watching carefully. The snake's attention was totally on the man moving towards its tree - and then Amaru moved.

Two seconds later, the snake's head was pinned to the tree by Amaru's spear. Incacha turned to Enqueri. "Not even I was aware of the snake until you warned us," he said. "These big snakes do not often come so close to the village. We will eat well tonight."

That incident confirmed in Incacha's mind that Enqueri was indeed a Watchman, and - as tribal shaman - he took it upon himself to be the companion that the Watchman needed. He knew, however, that in Enqueri's own land there was the perfect Companion for him - and that once Enqueri met that Companion, he would accomplish much, much more for his tribe than he could ever accomplish for the Chopek.

***

Two or three days later, Enqueri called Incacha and the tribal leader Sumaq aside.

"My friends," he said. "Have you had any difficulties with strangers coming into your land? Men coming in, and carrying away many of your coca plants, and possibly some other of the medicinal herbs? Men with weapons that can injure at a considerable distance, sometimes before you have even seen them?"

Incacha and Sumaq looked at each other. "Yes," Sumaq said.

"These men use the plants - especially the coca - to make bad drugs, drugs that harm the people who take them, thinking that the drugs make them feel good. The men running the drug 'cartels' - " he used a word in his own language - "make the people who get the drugs give them many of their goods in exchange. I was sent here by my tribal leaders because they had heard of that. We - the eight of us - were sent here to try to contact your people and offer you our help. But somehow the 'cartel' working here must have found out that we were coming, and were able to destroy our machine. Why I survived when the others died, I do not know... but I think I would not have survived long if your people had not come and found me.

"But now I offer you my help to fight these men. They come here over the Chopek Pass?"

"Yes." Incacha sighed. "We are a peaceful people, killing only for food. But some of us have died because of the weapons these men carry."

"I can show you ways to defeat them," Enqueri said.

"We will be grateful," Sumaq said.

"It will mean killing some of them," Enqueri warned, "but better they die than your people."

And so Enqueri organized the Chopek, and taught them how to watch out for the men who came into the area to raid it for its medicinal drugs, drugs that in their too-powerful form were highly addictive and damaging to the people who took them.

He also hunted with the warriors, and they found that with his guidance it was much easier to track the animals that fed the tribe.

But in private Incacha warned Sumaq that Enqueri would leave them one day; that his own people would come for him, and he would have no choice but return with them.

It was many moons, but in time they did come. While they were digging up the bodies of the seven men who had died - as Enqueri had predicted - Incacha took the opportunity to speak to Enqueri.

"I will miss you, my friend," he said.

"You've been a lot of help to me," Enqueri told him. "I know I have helped the Chopek, but I couldn't have done half of what I did without your guidance."

Incacha smiled. "I did my best to be a companion to you," he said, "but in your own land you will find your proper companion; perhaps not immediately, but you will find him. However, until you do, it would be wiser for you to forget how well you can see and hear, how well you are aware of everything, for a Watchman without a companion can be vulnerable. Wiser, once you reach your own land, to forget much of what you did here."

Enqueri said slowly, "Wiser, perhaps, but I don't want to forget my friends here."

"Be assured - we will not forget you. And now - " he glanced to the side - "I think your tribesmen have come for you." He slipped away as Captain Mathis joined Enqueri.

"Ready to go, Captain?" Mathis asked.

Enqueri looked around. There was no sign of any of the Chopek. "Not really," he said. "These people have been my friends, and I'm sorry to leave them, though I don't deny... I _am_ tired. I'll be glad of a break."

He accompanied Mathis to the chopper that still stood there - the second one, carrying the bodies of his men, had already left. He looked around, called out in Quechua, "Goodbye, my friends, and thank you!" then turned and climbed into the chopper.

A few hours and he would be home.

Home? His lips curled in an unamused smile. Here, in the Amazon jungle with his Chopek friends, was home. But duty was carrying him back to America.

 


End file.
